OED: "middlebrow (colloq., derogatory) n.: a person who is only moderately intellectual or who has average or limited cultural interests (sometimes with the implication of pretensions to more than this); a thing regarded as intellectually unchallenging or of limited intellectual or cultural value."

Sunday, November 16, 2014

This year's coffeeneuring was an exploration of specialty coffee in Philadelphia (with two exceptions).

Rule summary: bike to 7 coffee shops in 7 weekends, and make each trip at least 2 miles. Take a photo. All my miles are measured in "ish" distance. They're also dramatically less than last year's coffeeneuring mileage (with one notable exception). Things in Philly are just so much closer together than they are in Seattle!

#1. Date: 10/4/14
Destination: Volo, 4630 Main Street (Manayunk), Philadelphia
Miles: 20
Drinks: drip coffee for me, cappuccino for G
Notes: This run was supposed to be up to Crossroads in Roxborough, but they closed about 10 minutes after we got there. On the way, we conquered (basically) the Manayunk Wall, but didn't actually conquer it and ended up walking 2 or 3 of the blocks. (Also, we were technically a block or 2 over, but still did the same elevation.) When Crossroads was closed, we coasted back down the hill and found coffee. Volo serves La Colombe coffee, fwiw.

Drip, bagel w/cream cheese, cappuccino, G's hands

#2. Date: 10/11–13/14
Destination: French Creek State Park, Elverson, PA, for Coffee Shop Without Walls. (We drank Joe coffee)
Miles: About 100
Drinks: Joe coffee in a french press. Same thing but cold brew the second morning. It was hard to make a fire with wet firewood.
Notes: We didn't actually bike on the day that the coffee picture was taken, but there was plenty of biking the day of the cold brew coffee. As far as I can tell, French Creek is the only PA state park with camping in reasonable biking distance from Philly. I recommend going, but with a granny gear. My loaded-up 12-speed Univega wasn't exactly enough to get me up the hills into the park. We were the only people who biked to get there (also as far as I can tell), but there was a heckuva lot of mountain biking in the park. We did not partake.

French press coffee

bonus "look at all the gear" touring shot

#3. Date: 10/19/14
Destination: Menagerie Coffee, 18 S. 3rd St (Old City), Philadelphia.
Miles: 12
Drinks: cappuccino for me, hand pour for G
Notes: Menagerie is (and continues to be) wonderful, but they weren't the highlight of this trip. We biked over the Ben Franklin to Camden, and headed over to Harleigh Cemetery and found Walt Whitman's tomb. That was pretty special.

cappuccino, cinnamon bun, hand pour

#4. Date: 10/26/14
Destination: Rival Bros, 2400 Lombard St (Fitler Square), Philadelphia
Miles: Not very many. Probably about 4.
Drinks: espresso for me, hand pour for G. Yes, this happened 2x in a row.
Notes: There's a lot of specialty coffee in Philly. This was a great, accessible location. Lots of (presumably) grad students hanging out there doing work on a Sunday.

espresso, hand pour, glass of sparkling water

#5. Date: 11/2/14
Destination: Reanimator, 310 W Master St (South Kensington), Philadelphia
Miles: 6
Drinks: cappuccino for me, hand pour for G
Notes: Probably my favorite of the shops we visited. They're the only destination on the list that roasts in-house. Also, they hadn't taken down the halloween decorations yet, so that was pretty excellent.

Notes: They're closing at the end of the month! Lovely shop, though. They're staying open in Mt. Airy, though, for those bold enough to venture so far away. (I realize Mt. Airy isn't *actually* far away, but it may as well be Canada—or just the suburbs?—from where I sit.)